gstrustco.com                                                                                  March 2016

Spring: A Season of Change and Opportunity

Ah, spring…the time of the year when the snow melts, birds embark on their annual migrations, and the dormant green world comes alive again. Spring is a season of change – warmer temperatures, longer days, blooming flowers, and running sap. By Spencer Kellum

As Spring approaches, there are always changes in the air. Speaking of changes, we have been busy updating our website for the past few months. On an ongoing basis, a company needs to assess how it presents itself to the world and we recognize that our online presence must align with who we are and where we are going. Now, we want our website to reflect who we have become. The refreshed website clearly states our core values and how we work diligently for our clients. On our new home page, we added our value proposition: True independence and understanding are at the core of our unique value proposition. Caring for and thoughtfully guiding our clients has created the strong trusting relationships we have nurtured over many decades. That's why so many people rely upon our independent company for wealth management and trust & estate services: Garden State Trust Company. We have also updated some additional pages including Resources and Our team . We hope you will check out the new look, appreciate the changes and agree that they reflect the Garden State Trust Company advantage. Remember, at Garden State Trust, our focus is where it has always been, where it should be…On you. On Your Family. On Your Future. Sincerely,

Below are a few articles which we hope you find useful. Let us know your thoughts and reach out with any questions.

Taking the Fifth with the IRS Filing an income tax return is not the act of being a witness against oneself within the meaning of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Those who file blank tax returns and attempt to invoke the Fifth Amendment as a defense have routinely been penalized for filing frivolous returns.  Learn More.

Q & A on IRA rollovers A recent report from the GAO suggests that IRAs are becoming an increasingly important element of retirement security. An estimated 43 million taxpayers have IRAs, worth an estimated $5.2 trillion. Some 42.3 million of these IRAs are worth less than $1 million each, and 800,000 are worth more. 314 taxpayers have IRAs worth $25 million or more. Learn More.

Choice of trust upon marriage It’s a truism that every trust is unique, but a recent private letter ruling from the IRS shows just how creative some trust creators have been. Names are redacted from these rulings, so we’ll call the players Grandson and Fiancée.  Learn More.

Because of the rapidly changing nature of tax, legal or accounting rules and our reliance on outside sources, Garden State Trust Company makes no warranty or guarantee of the accuracy or reliability of information contained herein nor do we take responsibility for any decision made or action taken by you in reliance upon information provided here or at other sites to which we link. © All rights reserved.

Three convenient locations: Toms River, NJ -  732.255.5000  | Cherry Hill, NJ - 856.281.1300 | Lebanon, NJ -  908.287.7188  www.gstrustco.com  I  contact@gstrustco.com STAY CONNECTED